Rose Colored Diamonds
by Wildfire Fenrir
Summary: Late to the mission selection board, Team RWBY takes up the only mission left: investigate the Rosa Korsa estate located beyond the safety of Vale. But there's always the problem with old manors and students...the two never seem to go well with each other.
1. Chapter 1: Late to the Party

_**Rose Colored Diamonds**_

Chapter One: Late to the Party

* * *

 _She was standing at the aisle. It was the perfect day for a perfect wedding. The sun had raised to the perfect angle, which gave the chapel an immaculate glow. The chapel was decorated white. Flowers, streamers, and banners filled the hall with bright white. Sunlight from the windows made the fresh flowers glow brighter. Her bridesmaids stood off to the side, smiling brightly. She ran a hand down the side of her immaculate white wedding dress. At her side was a tall, handsome man wearing a sheepish grin. He was dressed in a matching, perfect white suit. As they were being read their vows, the chapel doors slammed open. She gazed into the darkness and watched in horror as the man drew his cane sword. The manor, the wedding, all of it disappeared from her. The vision of her happiest day had been replaced by the sight of red._

 ** _BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ_**

Weiss grumbled and slapped the alarm at her nightstand rather roughly. She turned in her bed and wrapped the warm blankets around her tighter. Despite her best efforts, her senses started picking up more things to prevent her from going back to bed. She didn't remember her dreams much, mainly because dreams were dreams and reality was reality. As she slowly, and reluctantly, decided to wake up, she peeked around the room. Yang's arm hung off the edge of her makeshift bunkbed, and she could hear the boisterous blonde snoring away. Blake still laid asleep with a serene look on her face. Above, Weiss could hear Ruby still dozing away, talking in her sleep about cookies. She reached over and picked up her scroll to check the time.

"Ten thirty…why do I feel like…oh no. OH. NO." Weiss sprang from her bed and sprinted to the bathroom to clean up. "Get up everyone, we're late! We're really, really late!" Weiss moved quickly, grabbing her combat skirt from her closet. "Everyone, get up!"

Yang grunted rather boorishly and leaned over with a lazy look. Despite what it may seem, she was the easiest to wake of the group. Her long wild hair covered a part of her face as she struggled to see what the heiress was up to, "W-whu? What're you talkin' about?" She asked lazily.

"We're getting another combat mission today! And we're late to pick out a good one!" Yang paused for a moment, registering her words, before flopping back onto her bed. "You guys!"

"I knew I should've set an alarm today…" Yang muttered and rolled off the bed. The loud thump caused Blake to spring up. The faunus girl blinked awake, looking at the blonde who was doing stretches in front of her bed, and looking at the heiress rushing around the room in a varying state of dress. She put two and two together and grabbed her stuff to get ready while Weiss probably took up the shower. Yang woke Ruby up, and the young leader sprang into action in panic.

* * *

After a quick breakfast of toast and cookies, courtesy of Yang's decision to buy snack bread the day before and Ruby's stash, team RWBY made their way to the main hall where the missions were put up. They bickered among themselves as to just whose fault it was that they woke up so late. The bickering continued as they tried to find a mission that wasn't already taken.

"Ladies." Professor Ozpin approached the group from behind. "This is an odd sight. Normally you are the first to select a mission."

"Sorry Professor. We woke up late because the group alarm got turned off somehow." Ruby explained, rubbing the back of her head with a sheepish grin on her face. Someone ( _totally not her)_ had turned their alarm off over the weekend, and only Weiss' backup alarm had saved them.

"Ah yes, the old alarm clock. You imagine someone would have made it so it would automatically turn on, wouldn't you?" Professor Ozpin gave the group a soft smile before he continued, "But I must say: next time? Please be on time. As you can see, there are not many missions still available. In fact, there is only one last time I checked." Professor Ozpin smiled kindly at the young leader and tucked his cane under his arm, as he pulled out his scroll with his now free hand. The other hand, for obvious reasons, was occupied with the ever present coffee mug. "Ah yes, an investigation mission to Rosa Korsa."

"Rosa Korsa?" Blake asked, "Where is that?"

"You wouldn't have heard of it I assume. Rosa Korsa is an outpost huntsmen use on long patrols. It used to belong the Rosa Korsa family, but has since fallen into the custody of the academy and local huntsmen." Professor Ozpin took a sip as he looked down at the mission details, "They were a clan of brilliant huntsmen. They were called the red bears because of their family crest and their combat capabilities."

"I think I heard a story about them a long time ago." Weiss said, putting a hand on her chin, "They said the family was known for being relentless. I also think that they did not like my family very much."

"You are correct, Miss Schnee. The Rosa Korsa family has had relatively bad ties with your family, but in the last years of its existence, relations went from hostile to simply cold."

"So…what does the mission want us to do?" Ruby asked, pulling out her scroll to take notes and get a copy of the mission request. "Also, this is our solo mission right?"

"Yes indeed. The mission is fairly simple. We need a team to go to the estate in order to do a resupply and maintenance check. From there, the team will practice their hunting skills in the general area and check it for grimm. You are to clear out any packs that you find, and use the estate as a forward base." Professor Ozpin sent Ruby the plan and schedule. "This is going to be a slightly longer mission than you're used to, I'm afraid. But we need to make sure the estate is still usable after all the rumors about it."

"What rumors Ozman?" Yang asked curiously, "Don't tell me it's like something out of a horror flick or something. You know, where we're using the house of a murdered person." She grinned and Professor Ozpin gave her a look, but chose to ignore the odd nickname.

"You appear to have hit the nail on the head Miss Xiao Long. Indeed. The manor has had rumors about it being haunted dating back decades already. But I can assure you, there's nothing there. No one has experienced anything outside of the normal things you would hear in an old building."

"Wait, seriously?" Yang raised an eyebrow at the Professor.

Professor Ozpin nodded. "Oh you know how it is. Creaky doors, loud floorboards, the wind coming in from old windows. Nothing ghostlike, simply old." Professor Ozpin put away the tablet and sipped his mug. "Now, I suggest you go speak with the requisitions room and pick up what you need. You should also consider bringing warmer clothing. The weather does not appear to be holding well, and I suspect it will only be worse there." The team nodded and turned to make their way to the requisitions office.

"Maybe you should have told them more about the ghost rumor. You remember Professor Alabaster refuses to even go there anymore." Professor Goodwitch appeared at his side.

"No. There's no need to scare burgeoning hunters with stories of the dead walking. There is no such thing." Professor Goodwitch frowned.

"I agree with you in that ghosts do not exist, but the amount of reports about the manor show a staggering amount of proof otherwise. But…I suppose they shall be fine. It is a simple mission, and they will not be staying there too long." Professor Ozpin nodded at her. "Would you like to play a game of chess tonight? I finally found my pieces after having the missing so long." Professor Ozpin looked around shiftily.

"Of course I will join you. I am free tonight after all the mountain of paperwork. Where did you find your pieces?"

Professor Goodwitch shot him a disarming smile, "Well, it seems there is an amusing story about that…something about a certain headmaster using them in initiation…" Professor Ozpin hummed and turned to go on his way, "Perhaps tonight he can prove he's better instead of leaving the game half played." Professor Ozpin walked away a little faster.

* * *

Professor Brun Howlzer double checked the tablet, scrolling through it with a stylus. Team RWBY had come to him to get some stuff to take on their mission. Pretty standard recon and resupply if he remembered the mission details. "Hold up there Long. You've got the wrong box." Yang paused, holding up a medium size wooden crate. "It's that cardboard one over there." Yang plopped the box down back where she found it and moved over to get it.

"So Professor Howlzer, do you know anything about the place we're going?" Yang asked, "Professor Ozpin made it sound a little too simple."

"That's just Ozman in general." He waved his hand dismissively with a smile, "Everything is simple when you're Ozman. At least, until Glynda appears." This caused Yang and Ruby to giggle a little as they moved around the storeroom. "But seriously speaking, where are you kids going anyway?"

"We're going to the Rosa Korsa estate." Weiss walked past, carrying a small hard case of dust crystals.

"Whoa, that's out in the middle of nowhere." Professor Howlzer looked up in surprise. "You sure you kids are up for that?"

"We're ready for anything Professor! Besides, I think we're bound to go out somewhere far eventually. Might as well make it now, right?" Professor Howlzer smiled at nodded at Ruby's enthusiasm.

"Well. I can tell you that Rosa Korsa is quite literally the house in the middle of nowhere. The nickname most hunters use for it is Hinzerhaus. It's a good stop point for long patrols, and I think Ozman keeps it supplied with emergency stuff…" he lightly tapped a wooden crate filled with medical supplies with his foot, "Just in case someone needs to use it."

"How safe is it to be using it like that?" Blake asked, "It's out in the middle of nowhere, and you would think that the grimm would have taken over it."

"Yes, well. No one's quite sure about why Hinzerhaus is like that. Grimm avoid it as much as most people, which is odd given its history." Professor Howlzer went back to checking his clipboard. "Alright Yang, take that crate next to you and put it on the dolly over by the door." Yang nodded and hefted up the box of bagged, ready to eat meals.

"So, why do you think that is?" Blake continued.

Professor Howlzer shrugged and checked off a few things from the tablet, "Probably gives the grimm the creeps as much as it does us. Saying the manor "has seen better days" is putting it mildly. The place is _old_." He put an emphasis on the last word.

"What do you mean?"

"Look, I don't want to scare you kids on your mission, but that place gives everyone the creeps. It's an old house and it comes with all the quirks of an old house."

Yang interjected, "Oh, so it's like totally haunted then?! That sounds _awesome_. I've always wanted to meet a ghost…"

"I didn't know you were interested in ghosts and specters, Yang." Blake looked at her boisterous partner.

"And punch them." Yang finished, causing Blake to face palm loudly. "But seriously, you make it sound like a total traditional haunted house!"

"Well." Professor Howlzer started, "We all have different experiences. I always chalked it up to the house being old. Creaky floor boards, doors that squeak, wind that goes through window cracks. That sorta thing. But Rina—I mean, Professor Alabaster, thinks otherwise. All the times we were posted out there for a mission, she's told me a different story each time."

"Story?" Ruby tilted her head and looked at her physical education instructor.

"Yes. Professor Alabaster is certain she…hears things there. Hears and sees things. Like seeing shadows moving themselves, or doors slamming or opening themselves. One time she woke me up during her watch because she heard footsteps outside the guestroom." Professor Howlzer ran his hand through his long black hair. "Granted, she's a little jumpy mouse sometimes."

"That sounds…totally _awesome_." Yang grinned.

"I'm suddenly not so sure about this…" Ruby groaned. Leave it to them to get the haunted mansion mission. "I think I've watched enough horror movies to know where this is going."

"I'm not saying its ghosts. But…considering how many reports and accounts we've collected over the years…I'm not sure if it isn't anymore." Professor Howlzer shrugged. "It's probably a combination of boredom, isolation, and the house being so old that's making people see things. I wouldn't worry about it. We can fly out there any time we need to."

Team RWBY stood idle for a moment, processing the information. "Speaking of flying…you kids should probably get going. It's not a short flight out there, not the route that the pilots can safely take. You should get your stuff, prepare yourself to stay there for the time being, and be ready for…well…anything weird." They nodded to Professor Howlzer as he left, pushing the dolly loaded with their mission supplies and gear to the landing platform.

They prepared for a long mission, taking a spare set of clothing, toiletries, and other personal supplies. They also decided to bring along some cards to kill time during their downtime.

All the meanwhile wondering: was it possible for a house to be haunted?

* * *

Notes:

So this is going to be an experiment in writing. I've never written horror/suspense. I've personally never written horror before, though I've always find the writing to be very interesting - and compelling - if properly done. I'm aiming for more suspense than gore and viscera. I'll probably be messing with the canon, since, well most fiction ends up doing that anyways.

As to when this takes place...well, realistically this is between Volumes Two and Three. Anywhere else and it just seems a bit off. Nothing crazy has happened yet, but we'll see where it goes from here. There'll be a few OC professors and characters, but the main focus is going to be on team RWBY.

It's different from my other works, and I'm hoping to at least get some writing experience out of this project. I can't really say if I'll have it updated as regularly as other stuff, since Hearts of Iron IV has taken over my life.

Thanks your your time! Hopefully I don't muck this up too badly, eh?

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY and canon details.


	2. Chapter 2: Rosa Korsa

_**Rose Colored Diamonds**_

Chapter Two: Rosa Korsa

* * *

After an uneventful ride, the group looked up at the large two story manor. The cobblestone wall with iron fences surrounded the perimeter, and only gave it a more imposing look. The old gothic style manor was in various states of decay, and they were pretty sure one side of the manor had straight up collapsed given how slanted it was. The roof was lined with small statuettes of bears, gazing vigilantly down.

Team RWBY pushed open the rusty gate and Yang pushed the dolly into the front yard. Ruby closed the gate behind her, cringing at the high pitched creaking it made. "So, this is totally sketchy right?" Yang hummed as the group made their way through the decaying courtyard. Dead shrubs and plants lined the road, and the local foliage had taken root in areas around the courtyard. Off to the right, they could see a broken fountain, filled with water from the recent showers.

"I agree. There isn't anything, it just feels wrong." Blake muttered as she kept a hand on her weapon, keeping an eye out for grimm. "I'm surprised this place isn't attracting grimm, given its gr—hrm, _unpleasant_ , history." Her partner snickered and she frowned lightly at her, "The air feels wrong about this place. I can feel it."

"I'm sure that's just your heightened senses Blake." Weiss looked up at the statue. She didn't want to admit she was _a little_ unnerved by the sight. It was something out of those horror movies she had been forced to sit through during their "team bonding" time. "I'll get the door." Weiss walked over and pulled out the black skeleton key that Professor Howlzer had given them. She slid the thing into place and turned, only to find it jammed. "Huh? That's odd." She tried the door again. "I think it might be jammed."

Yang casually strolled over and Weiss let the blonde bombshell give it a try. She tried twisting the key like Weiss, but found herself struggling. "Seriously?" She pulled the key out and looked at it, before jamming it back in gracelessly. She twisted and turned it a few times, before giving it a "light" tap with her fist. "Com'on…" She winded her arm back to break the door open in frustration.

"Wait!" Ruby called out, causing her sister to pause, "Don't break the door. We won't be able to fix it if we break it." The others nodded, acknowledging it'd be kind of hard to suddenly get a new door out here.

"Ugh. Fine. Well we better find another path. Maybe we should check the other side?" She turned and accidentally knocked her fist against door.

As if on cue, the door clicked and they heard the lock open. The two by the door took a step back hesitantly, raising their weapons in case of something coming out. Yang gently nudged the door a little, and the creaky old wood slowly opened to reveal the foyer. "I guess we just had to knock." Yang grinned sheepishly and pushed open the door wide before moving over to push the dolly in. "Heellooooo! Anyone home?" She called out as she walked into the darkened interior. She came back outside and shrugged. "Empty."

"Blake, can you and Weiss check the house while Yang and I unpack in the…main…area?" Ruby asked as she helped Yang carry the boxes inside.

"Foyer. Ruby. And yes. Let's go Blake." Weiss waved with her hand and pulled the light pack off her shoulders, leaving it to the others. Blake followed in suit and checked the magazine on her weapon, just in case. The two scanned the foyer, looking at the crumbling interior. At its height, the manor probably would have rivaled any beautiful manor around the world. The intricate woodwork and once polished oak that made up the walls, rails, and bannisters had faded. The water damaged, warped wood were in a sad state of disrepair.

The entire interior seemed like it was made of wood. From floorboards to wood paneling. From ceiling to shelves. It was all made of the same oak that furnished the house. In its heyday, it would have been a great vacation home. The old floorboards creaked under their step, and they made sure to tread lightly as to not alert anything. Weiss and Blake could make out a massive banner hanging over the old grand staircase, behind a black iron chandelier. The banner was White and gold with red and black trim. On it was a bear, roaring on its hind legs, carrying a simple steel halberd.

Yang found the light switch by the side and flicked it on, bringing a warm, yellow light into the dark interior. The chandelier and assorted wall lights flickered a little, like a candle would. Weiss and Blake took that as a cue to begin their walk around, starting with the right hall.

"Gee, this place certainly isn't holding back with being extra spooky." Yang rolled her eyes, unamused by the interior. "Got the last box Rubes?"

"Got it Yang! Let's get it sorted and then we can go check out the opposite side." Ruby put the box down. The front door slammed shut behind her, causing Yang to look up and Ruby to jump into her sister's arms in surprise, "GAH. I DIDN'T DO THAT!"

Yang laughed and pat Ruby on the head with a free hand, "Ah Rubes, don't worry. It's just a door. There's no scary door here." Yang put Ruby down and cocked her bracelets. "Let's go. Maybe if we walk around it'll be better." Ruby nodded and the two set off to the left hall.

* * *

While the patrol was uneventful, it was still creepy. Blake turned around multiple times, checking her back. She was almost _certain_ someone was watching them, but she had not been able to find a trace of a voyeur. Weiss was a little uneasy, though Blake could see her trying her best to not look like she was unnerved. The heiress led the way down the hall.

"So, we passed a music room, a living room, and a trophy room. If I had to guess the layout…" Weiss started as they tried to ignore the constant creaking from the floorboards underfoot. "We're probably coming up on the dining hall or kitchen. Most likely dining hall."

"This seems excessive. All this money could have gone elsewhere…" Blake looked around. While it was old, and there was a layer of dust just about everywhere, she had to admit that the paintings on the wall were nice. "Did they really…need all this?"

"Decadence, Blake, is a sign of power." Weiss gestured to the trophy room's contents as they stopped by another set of large double doors that led into it. The trophy room was full of antiques, paintings, portraits, and relics. Granted, all the trophies were fading and rusting over from lack of attention. "This money could have gone elsewhere, yes, but to satisfy a family as big as the Rosa Korsa? This is surprisingly humble."

"So, rich people like to stroke their egos by throwing money around like it's going out of style." Blake deadpanned and looked at Weiss. Weiss huffed.

"Not all of us are the same. But we're all similar in that we know class when we see it." Weiss continued on her way, "That being said, you're not wrong. The Rosa Korsa family had massive egos. Good fighters, just...hrm."

"Could you tell me more about them? I haven't heard of them before today." Blake asked as they stepped into a grand dining hall. The huge hall could have doubled as a ballroom, and more than likely were given the change from wood to solid white tiles. Like the rest of the manor, it looked old and deserted.

Weiss walked over to examine the fading table cloth before answering, "The Rosa Korsa family are a family of extraordinarily skilled hunters. They're famed for battling grimm with halberds and whips." She dusted her fingers off and walked over to examine the large glass cabinet filled with exquisite porcelain and silverware. "Ferocious in combat, unwavering as allies, and absolutely loyal and gentle to friends. Hence their family symbol being a bear. They…used to be a family rival."

"Rival?"

"Oh you know how it is. Two highly influential families. Both destined to clash over ideology. My family went towards business while theirs went to combat. They did not get along with each other, but then they disappeared." The two looked out the massive glass wall that gave the dining hall a view of the outside yard. The ornate garden was overgrown with vines and weeds, but they could see some statues and a fountain hadn't completely decayed away. "I don't know what happened to them, but they stopped being a rival according to my father some decades ago."

"I see." Blake opened a door to the kitchen and pushed it open lightly, looking around carefully. Weiss kept an eye out behind them as the faunus used her heightened senses to scan the room before they clear it. Something moved in the corner of her eye and she raised her rapier in defense.

"What was that?" Weiss asked, causing Blake to immediately turn around, close the door, and raise her pistol. "I saw something moving in the hallway." The pair moved slowly towards the hall.

"Are you sure?" The two kept their guard up. A sudden flash of a shadow zipping from left to right caused them both to jump. "I saw that."

They ran into the hall, chasing after the shadow, but all the found was an empty hall. The warm yellow lights flickered occasionally, but there were no signs of sudden movement. All that was on the dusty floor were their own footprints.

"Hey!" The two nearly jumped out of their skin when they heard Yang's booming voice echo out from the other side of the dining hall. "Oop, didn't realize there was an echo. What're you two doin' over there?"

"I…we just saw something moving over here." Blake regained her composure and walked over to the blonde. Weiss lingered at the hallway, before turning back to go back in. In the corner of her eye she thought she saw a shadow standing there. She flicked her head back around to see nothing, and went back on her way. "What did you two find over there?"

"A pair of guest bedrooms, the guest bathroom, and I think a game room." Ruby reported, "Those rooms are actually clean. Well, mostly. They're free of dust and stuff at least." She smiled at the others, "And the bathroom is _huge_."

"Yep. That's money for you. How about you two? Find anything interesting?" Yang asked as she crossed her arms and leaned back.

"We found the trophy room, the music room, and a living room on our side. There was also a bathroom and a door to the cellar." Weiss looked at Blake, who nodded in confirmation. "We were going to investigate the kitchen there before we saw something."

"Oh com'on, seeing ghosts already?" Yang grinned, cheekily. "Was it a little girl? I bet you it's a little girl ghost."

"This place isn't haunted, Yang." Blake sighed and gestured to the kitchen, "Let's go check this last room out and then we can go sort our stuff out. We'll do the upstairs after we make something to eat." The group nodded and Yang led the way into the kitchen. Only one of the three stoves were cleaned and ready to use. They could see a partially open pantry in the back that was a little barebones.

Only one refrigerator stood in the back next to the pantry, alongside a door. They fanned out after turning on the surprisingly bright lights in the kitchen and looked around. Blake looked into the pantry and saw that it was starting to run out of canned food and ready to eat meals. On the bottom shelf, she found a few things that were still usable; namely salt, sugar, and some nearly empty spice bottles.

Yang pushed open the door gently and revealed the empty storage room. It was big enough to walk in and look around, and probably would have been awesome to see full. But now it was fairly empty. There were a few sacks of long lasting flour and barley, as well as a sack of rice. Ruby and Yang went in and looked through the shelves, finding some more canned goods.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Weiss checked the plumping for water and twisted the old handle to the large kitchen sink. Satisfied that hot and cold water was still running, probably due to some long lasting dust crystals or something, she went out to the dining room cabinet to pull some plates, cups, and silverware out for the others to wash.

"Schnee." The whisper was close, right next to her ear even. Weiss turned quickly and almost dropped the gold trimmed plate she was carrying. She looked around for the source of the whisper.

"Did you guys call me?" She called out to the three in the kitchen.

Yang popped her head out of the kitchen, "Nope. Why?"

"Hm….I thought I heard something…" Yang shrugged and Weiss looked around the empty dining hall. "Probably the rain, right?"

"Yeap. It looks like it's gonna get worse. Let's get the stuff stored away back here, just so it's out of the way." Yang waved to Weiss, who nodded back. She looked around some more before continuing with her task. Weiss had a feeling that this was going to be a long mission…


	3. Chapter 3: Recon Duty

_**Rose Colored Diamonds**_

Chapter Three: Recon Duty

* * *

Weiss picked at the bowl of oatmeal that Blake had prepared for them. Ruby and Yang were still getting ready for the day, as Blake and Weiss sat in the dining hall. She didn't have the most restful sleep, due to them splitting into two rooms for the night. They had longer watches due to this set up, something that Weiss was going to propose they fixed. But, the problem didn't lie with her room partner (Ruby) or with the watch schedule.

The problem was the house just didn't feel _right_ to sleep in. She was beginning to wonder if other hunters, who supposedly used this place as a rest point, even got any rest.

Weiss stirred the oatmeal idly, thinking back. She wondered if the others were having trouble sleeping too. While on watch, she could just hear the house moving. Creaking doors from loose hinges, floor boards groaning from being so old, and the wind. The wind was the worst part, as it whistled in from throughout broken windows in the manor. Weiss was almost certain something was in the house, but _what_?

But she couldn't help but be logical about it either. All the little noises like doors and thumps were just the house, not some stupid ghost or grimm. They hadn't found anything on the ground floor, and opted to save the upstairs for today. That wasn't to say they didn't explore upstairs. The brief moments they were up there last night were to simply check the halls for grimm and secure the building, not actually investigating what rooms and such were up there.

"Breakfast not to your liking, Weiss?" Blake asked as she poured out the other two's portions. Weiss looked up from her brown sugar and raisin oatmeal.

"Huh? No! No. It's nice. I'm just…" Weiss looked out the glass wall facing the garden, "Not all together yet." Blake nodded in understanding.

"I understand. It was the same way for me. I could have sworn the shadows move themselves, and there was something standing outside of our door." Blake looked at the hallway leading to the guest bedrooms they occupied.

"What do you mean?" Weiss asked as she took a bite, enjoying the sweet oatmeal. She didn't mind the extra calories today; they were going out on a recon patrol to scout out the surroundings, and patrols could be draining without a proper breakfast. Oatmeal was a pretty good option that was healthy. Blake had also set out some strawberry jam and wheat bread they had brought along, just in case they needed something more than just oatmeal.

"I mean…" Blake thought for a moment, to compose her thoughts, "When I looked at the bottom of our door, I could have sworn there was something darker than the normal shadows there. It didn't look like two feet, since it wasn't _that_ dark, but it just didn't _feel_ right." Blake looked at Weiss. "Don't tell Yang. She's going to start making jokes about ghosts."

"Ugh. Done." Weiss shook her head and went back to her oatmeal. Yang and Ruby joined them a minute or so later, with Yang looking significantly more disheveled than normal. "Wow Yang, that's quite the bedhead you have."

Yang rolled her eyes in annoyance, "Yeah, yeah ice queen. It's bad. I kept turning and twisting in my sleep last night."

"I don't think any of us slept well." Ruby groaned and scooped up some oatmeal. After a few bites, she was back to her energetic self. "But that's okay! We've got a busy day ahead of us!"

"What's on the schedule, Rubes?" Yang asked as she played with the oatmeal. Her free hand kept messing with her hair, trying to smooth out her golden mane.

"Well, we have to do area recon first. Get to know the area and see the terrain. Maybe mark down anything important on our maps so we can find it easier. We'll also be looking for packs of grimm." Ruby somehow finished her bowl faster than the others despite explaining their objectives, "When it's closer to evening, we'll come back here, explore the upstairs some more, then we can check the basement!"

"I thought you had Yang block up the basement entrance?" Blake asked as she poured Ruby a second bowl.

"Yep! But that's because this house is waaaay too big to go through. We didn't check the basement because we needed rest for today, and since we're not sure what's down there…well, better to keep it down there than be surprised, right?"

"Personally would have preferred we had looked over it before we blocked it." Weiss leaned back in her seat. "Let's go when we're ready. The weather app on my scroll says that the weather might not hold, and I think we'd all be better not being caught out in a surprise heavy rain." The team nodded and marked out a perimeter for reconnaissance.

* * *

Yang and Weiss were looking over a holographic map on Weiss' scroll. The entire north, north-west perimeter they had charted out turned out to be one _massive_ swamp. The rain made the earth slick with mud, and obscured the paths that were marked by small iron guide posts. They could see spent dust crystals in the small holders of the posts, meaning they were meant to be lit markers. The swamp had swelled over the paths and reduced mobility significantly.

The two of them stayed behind at one of the markers that marked the entrance to the bog. Ruby had her speed to be able to move quickly without being caught in the quagmire, and Blake was used to running (and swinging) through the trees. Yang had put a fresh dust crystal at the marker, giving the two some warmth and making a beacon in the dreary atmosphere.

"I don't like this." Yang kept watch over the swamp as Weiss' map application was updated with pings and real time data. They had linked her scroll with Blake's to provide live updates and markers in case they needed to traverse the bog. A thin line on the map already marked the path of iron posts that were supposed to indicate there was a path.

"I don't either. I'm against splitting up like this. But it's efficient. Those two aren't hindered by the swamp like you, and they can cross it much more efficiently." Weiss zoomed out on the map to check their current position, marked by their chibified faces. She frowned at her image next to Yang's; she needed to update hers so it wasn't scowling.

"Efficient or not, I'd rather my baby sister and partner not be left like that." Yang grumbled. Her hair was still a mess, and the weather put a dampener on her mood. "They've been in there for forty minutes or so already. Let's recall them and go check elsewhere."

"You don't think it's worth checking this place?"

Yang shook her head, "No, not in that way. More like, the rain has turned the place into hazard zone. Pretty sure any grimm want to avoid it, as mobility is pretty poor. The only things that could hunt actively in that swamp are either the gator grimm that Port told us about. Everything else will just sink." Weiss stared at Yang's sudden intelligence. "What? I listen in class. Sometimes."

"Hm. You're right." Weiss tapped her scroll and lifted it up to her ear, connecting to Ruby. She looked up when she saw a shadow move to her right, "What was that?" Yang lifted her fists and turned to look where Weiss was looking. Weiss could feel the hair on the back of her neck raise slightly.

"What? You saw something?" Yang asked, her eyes scanning the surroundings.

"I thought I saw something moving over there." Ruby picked up her phone. "Ruby?"

"Hey Weiss. What's going on?"

"Regroup with us. We'll explain when you get back. Right now, Yang and I need to check something out." Ruby acknowledged and ended the call. "Let's go."

Yang and Weiss cautiously approached the tree group Weiss saw movement in. Weiss had her rapier ready to go, and Yang led the way. They moved quietly, well, as quietly as they could. Weiss tried to ignore the disgusting mushing sounds from having to walk into the swamp. They reached the tree and she nodded to Yang, peeked past the branches.

"Anything?" Weiss asked. Yang shook her head as she leaned over to look more.

"Nothin'—wait, there's a boot print here." Weiss moved a little closer and leaved over the wet tree. Sure enough, there was a single pair of boot prints in the mushy mud. Yang looked up into the trees to make sure no one was standing over them as Weiss examined the prints.

"Those don't belong to anyone here. The pattern looks like it came from men's boots." Weiss examined it further, thinking about their choices of footwear. She had switched out of her heels to a pair of more practical black and white calf boots. No one else wore boots that matched that pattern – Yang's were smooth; Ruby's had a zigzagging pattern and had more grip; and Blake's were…well, she wasn't too sure. Her faunus teammate didn't leave much for tracks. The unease and dread slipped away as quickly as it came,

"I agree. But that's too weird. Who could've made these?" They heard a rustle and swung around, ready for combat. Ruby and Blake dropped out of the trees behind them, landing with a light _squish_ on the muddy floor.

"Eww. I really need to wipe my shoes down later…" Ruby slouched slightly, holding onto her scythe. "What're you two doing? Why did you recall us?"

"We found some boot prints." Yang waved them over to look. As she turned back around, the marks had disappeared. "Uh, Weiss…"

"I saw it. It just…disappeared." Weiss looked at the now smooth mud. It was as if nothing disturbed it.

"What do you two mean?" Blake asked. "I don't see anything there."

"They _were_ just there though. Weiss and I saw 'em!" Yang pointed to the smooth mud, "Damnit! I should have taken a picture before hand..."

Weiss rubbed her forehead, "Maybe we were just seeing things. We're tired you know?" Yang thought for a moment, before agreeing with her logic.

"I...I guess. It's just weird you know?"

Ruby poked her sister, "Uh...I hate to interrupt but...what did you guys call us back for?" Yang jumped and produced the tablet with the map.

"Oh! Yeah. So Weiss and I agreed that it was pretty pointless to keep checking the swamp. The rain's made it hard to cross for both humans and grimm, so it's unlikely anything is out there. I mean, you saw how it was when i tried to step into it - I almost sank _into_ the stuff! And beside, the map shows that most of this area is just more swamp."

"Ah." Blake realized what Yang was getting at, "I see. So you want us to go around the rest of the area instead of wasting time in a swamp." Yang nodded.

Ruby held out her hand and Yang passed her the tablet. She marked a few locations in a counter-clockwise rotation around the manor, "Okay team! New path. We'll go south from here and circle around. Once we hit the swamp again, we'll go back to the manor and plan for tomorrow! Keep an eye out, okay?" Team RWBY nodded to each other and took off through the wet woods.

* * *

"Okay. That's…just spooky."

Yang had her guard up as the other three caught up to her. They were looking at a hill with a single massive cross at the very top. The hill was in the center of a fairly large clearing, and they could see white stones dotting the face of it along with a weathered cobblestone path. The darkening weather made it look ominous, and the only thing that could make it look like out of a scene from a movie was a lightning bolt striking the main cross or tree at the top of the hill.

Then Yang realized they weren't simply rocks.

They were gravestones. Old, weathered, and grayed with age, but gravestones nonetheless. The dark green hill had grown over the entire cemetery, covering over dozens of graves and most of the paths.

"I didn't sign up for a horror movie." Yang scratched the back of her head. "First a scary manor that makes noises at night, then a dark swamp that's flooded over, and now a graveyard? Seriously, I've seen too many of these movies to know where _this_ is going."

"Nervous now?" Blake asked, an eyebrow raised at the blonde bombshell.

"Nope. Even more excited!" Yang beamed at her teammate, who only shook her head.

"How did _this_ not get marked on any map?!" Weiss looked at the others in disbelief. They were doing more recon work to the south. Blake had spotted a beaten path that wasn't marked on the map, so they decided to follow it to see where it went. They had, by complete accident, discovered the hill. That is to say, Yang punched an ursa into the flat clearing around the small hill.

She double checked their map several times to make sure their location as correct, and it wasn't wrong.

For all intents and purposes, someone had willfully left out the fact a cemetery hill existed here. "We'll have to call Beacon and ask about it. For now…well…I for one am not interested in investigating a spooky cemetery. Even if it's still day." Ruby grinned nervously at the others.

"Com'on Rubes, you're not even a little bit curious? Mysterious graveyard out in the middle of nowhere. Unmarked and forgotten. Oh, do you think zombies pop out of their graves at night?!" Yang smirked and hung an arm around Ruby's neck. "Spooky skeletons coming for yoouuu!~" Yang whispered into Ruby's ear, causing the little girl to jump and dash away in a flurry of rose petals to hide behind Weiss.

"Be serious Yang. Ruby's right. We don't have enough information on the place to go search through it. For all we know this is probably a grimm magnet due to it being a grave. Let's finish the patrol and head back." Weiss pat Ruby on the shoulder, "And for the record Ruby, I'm also not interested in looking through a graveyard."

"You scared too, Weiss-cream?" Yang taunted, earning her a glare from the heiress. As if she would admit she was feeling unnerved by the graveyard.

"No. I'm being reasonable. We don't know what we're dealing with here. Now let's move on. I've already marked it on the map."

Her tone brokered no disagreement, and the team moved on. Blake found a rotting sign further ahead that named the graveyard the Montagne di Rosa. After quickly changing the name of the marker from "2spoopyhill" (courtesy of Yang), they pressed onward.

They finished their perimeter patrol and made their way back to the manor. They had discovered a small river in the surrounding forest, just in case they needed some fresh flowing water.

But the biggest issue that Blake was having with the whole area was the complete lack of grimm. Outside of the odd Ursa or wolf, there just wasn't anything around. Grimm feed on fear, right? So why not here?


End file.
